Best area LGBTQ healthcare equality designation in NOLA

The Human Rights Campaign (HRC) Foundation announced on March 30, 2017 that the Southeast Louisiana Veterans Health Care System (SLVHCS) and CrescentCare are Louisiana's leaders in LGBTQ Health Care Equality.

SLVHCS is located in New Orleans at 2400 Canal Street. CrescentCare, a community health center, is located at 3308 Tulane Avenue, also in New Orleans. Both agencies scored a perfect 100 on the HRC index.

HRC is the largest national lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer civil rights organization. The healthcare designation was reported in the 10th edition of the Healthcare Equality Index (HEI), reflecting on a decade of progress in LGBTQ health care.

"Putting our Veterans at the center of everything we do at Southeast Louisiana Veterans Health Care System is how we provide the world-class health care that all of our Veterans earn and deserve,” SLVHCS Medical Center Director Fernando O. Rivera, FACHE, said. “When it comes to our LGBTQ community, it is important as health care professionals that we are sensitive, aware and understand the unique health care needs of these patients and by providing an inclusive health care environment, our Veterans will have confidence and increased satisfaction with their care.”

The 10th edition of the HEI implements new criteria that raises the bar on what it takes to earn HRC’s “Leader in LGBTQ Healthcare Equality” designation. For the first time ever, HEI participants are given scores in four criteria that represent how many policies and best practices from each section they have implemented: foundational elements of LGBTQ patient-centered care, LGBTQ Patient Services and Support, Employee Benefits and Policies, and LGBTQ Patient and Community Engagement. Participants that receive the maximum score in each section for a total score of 100 points earn the coveted status of “2017 Leader in LGBTQ Healthcare Equality.”

Nine of the eleven Louisiana hospitals mentioned in the latest index are located in the Greater New Orleans area. The Ochsner Medical Center in Baton Rouge, the closest in proximity to Ascension Parish residents, scored 80 out of 100. Ochsner Baton Rouge was docked 15 out of 30 for "patient services and support," and they were docked 5 out of 10 possible points for "patient and community engagement."

The remaining Louisiana hospital mentioned was Ochsner St. Anne Hospital in Raceland, which scored an overall 75 out of 100 points

For more information about the new Veterans medical center, clinic locations and other services available to Veterans in southeast Louisiana, visit the website at www.neworleans.va.gov, Facebook at www.facebook.com/VANewOrleans or Twitter at www.twitter.com/vaneworleans. Information on CrescentCare may be found at www.crescentcarehealth.org.